"They were along the SRT on a slope and made their way down into traffic," Rey said.

An NTTA worker jumped into action, stopping traffic and ushering the birds off the road and into a small caged area underneath where the SRT meets the Dallas North Tollway.

Bird specialists from Plano-based Wild Feathers Wild Bird Rehabilitation came to take the group away. They plan to either release the birds into a more suitable habitat or to place the family in a sanctuary.

"It worked out about as well as it possibly could," Rey said.

Wild Feathers CEO Teri Latsko said that while it is normal to see birds nesting in warm spring weather, it is unusual for them to choose to set up home base in a busy area such as around a tollway interchange.